Combination outside stripper and buffer for metal drums



R. L. KAYE 2,794,195 COMBINATION OUTSIDE STRIPPER AND BUFFER FQR METALDRUMS June 4, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 22, 1950 m m m m E O W dw w A G K a e 4 e w L W H e b O R v w wm I v 9 NO Ln mO lllll w O 0: Q

June 4, 1957 E 2,794,195

COMBINATION OUTSIDE STRIPPER AND BUFFER FOR METAL DRUMS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2Filed Dec. 22, 1950 ATTORNEYS June 4, 1957 R L K'A E I 2,794,195

COMBINATION OUTSIDE STRIPPER AND BUFFER FOR METAL DRUMS '4 Sheets-Sheet3 Filed Dec. 22, 1950 INVENTOR- EozsEeT LEE Kan:

ATTORNEYS June 4, 1957 R. L. KAYE COMBINATION OUTSIDE STRIPPER ANDBUFFER FORMETAL DRUMS Filed Dec. 22, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet. 4

- INVENTOR foa gzr LEE Kara United States Patent COMBINATION OUTSIDESTRIPPER AND BUFFER FOR METAL DRUMS Robert Lee Kaye, Newark, N. J.Application December 22, 1950, Serial No. 202,252 9 Claims. (CI. 15-57)The present invention concerns the reconditioning of metal drums andcontainers for reuse and in particular relates to an automatic outsidestripper and buffer.

It is an object of the invention to provide a device which employsstrong wire brushes to give a drum a thorough rub-down, removing rustand polishing the body and both ends simultaneously in preparation forpainting.

It is an object of the invention to provide means to cause brushes toexert an even pressure against a drum being cleaned on all surfaces evenwhen the drum is out-of-round or may be rectangular by using controlledair pressure to cause the brushes to (follow the contour of the drum.

It is an object of the invention to provide a fully automatic stripperand buffer with a loader and ejector which can be regulated for speedsup to three or more drums a minute.

It is an object of the invention to provide a stripping and polishingunit in which there are three positions in which the outside of thedrums being treated are stripped with a spray of hot caustic solution.In the third one of these three positions, the drum is wire brushedwhile hot caustic is still being sprayed on it.

It is an object of the invention to provide a rotary loader which timesthe machine operation.

Other objects will appear as the description continues. In the drawinglike numbers refer to like parts throughout.

Fig. l is a side elevation of one form of combined stripper and buffershowing loader and ejector in place.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the loader mechanism to enlarged scale.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the automatic timer.

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the timer mechanism.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of one form of head brush assembly.

Fig. 6 is a side view in fragmentary section of the head brush actuatormechanism.

Fig. 7 is a bottom view of the head brush.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of another form of the invention.

Fig. 9 is an interior view showing the spray nozzle arrangement.

Fig. 10 is a schematic showing of an elevator detail.

A pair of channel skids 10 support a tank housing 11 to end 12 of whichis bolted loader 13 by means of bars 14. Within housing 11 is a seriesof rolls 15 mounted in bearings 16 and driven by chains 17. The threerolls on each end are driven by chains 17 on the rear side of Fig. 1.Chains 17 are driven by a sprocket keyed to the drive shaft of tractiondrive reducer motor 19 mounted on shelf 20.

Rolls 15 progressively roll drums being treated from the loader entranceon side 12 to the exit on side 21. The drums are rolled along and passedbetween a pair of head brushes 22 to an elevator cradle 102 operated byair cylinder 124, piston rod 100, and-a suitable air,

18 connected to drive Patented June 4, 1957 'ice supply. Sliding door 29in housing 11 affords ready access to head brushes 22.

Body brushes 30 are mounted in bearings 31 on angle member 32 attachedto the side of housing 11. Body brushes 30 are made of stiff steel wiresand are covered by removable hood 33 and are driven by two tenhorsepower motors 34 and belts 35.

A screen compartment 36 is filled with caustic solution which is heatedby steam coils 37. Hot caustic solution is supplied to header 38 bycentrifugal pump 39 driven by a five horsepower motor 40. Screencompartment 36 and clean out compartment 41 are each provided with adrain 42. The last station of the water rinse manifold is indicated at43 and the rinse drain is shown at 44. v

The up-ender ejector 45 is attached to tank 11 by channel members 46 andcomprises a frame 47 and a pivoted cradle 48 actuated by an air cylinderfor rotating cleaned drums through ninety degrees with bungs down todrain into tray 49. Drain tray 49 discharges into screen compartment 36through pipe 50. Cradle 48 may be separately operated by a local drumactuating valve or switch or may be timed from the loader side as anoverall synchronized operation.

Loader 13 has a base 51 which mounts a drum elevating .arm 52 pivoted at53 and having a projection 54 curved to fit a drum to be elevated forcleaning. Drums are rolled to loader 13 and curved projection 54 onpickup ramp 55.

A main actuator wheel 56 is driven by motor 57 through speed reducer 58.The position of motor 57 may be adjusted by hand wheel 59 which turns aworm rod in carriage 60. Actuator wheel 56 is operably connected to arm52 by a link 61 and carries a tangential arm 62 braced by web 63 andhaving a roller 64 at its end. Tangential arm 62 deposits elevated drumsonto feed ramp 65 on which they roll to the first of the feed rolls 15.Speed reducer 58 is driven from pulley 66.0n motor 57. A sprocket 67 onthe output shaft of reducer 58 drives sprocket 69, shaft 68 which mountsactuator wheels 56, one on each side, and the tangential arms 62.Sprockets 67 and 69 are connected by roller chain 70.

Shaft 68 has a safety clutch arrangement 71 which connects the right andleft hand parts of the shaft as air to the operating cylinder ofup-ender ejector 45 which tilts pivoted cradle 48. Air line 79 and valve76 control the supply of air to head brush air cylinder 87. Air line 80and valve 77 control the supply of air to elevator cylinder 24. It willbe seen that the initiation of the time cycle of the earns 72, 73 and 74as well as the events of the individual cams are determined by therotation of shaft 68 which in turn controls the operation of loader arm52 and the feeding of drums to the rolls 15. The rotary loader,therefore, picks up the drums from fl-oor level and times theirprocessing through the housing 11.. I

Head brushes 22 are mounted within the side walls 88 of housing 11adjacent door 29. Removable brushes 22 are held by frame 89 attached toshaft 90 supported in bearings 91. A lever 92 is keyed to one end ofshaft 90 and pinned at its other end to a clevis 93 fastened to themovable pistonrlike end 94 of head brush cylinder 87 As frames 89 areofiset from shafts 90, rotation of the shafts by actuation of cylinder58 causes the brushes 22 to bear against both heads of the drum beingcleaned simultane- .spectto the drums and clean the entire .heads astheyrevolve. The pinned ends of lever 92 and clevis 93 are enclosed by acover 95.

Header 38 enters the top oftank housin'g ll and runs lengthwise thereof,connecting with' cross maiti's lltlavhich carry nozzles 111 which 1direct 'a knife li-ke J fan-shaped sheet of hot caustic-solt1tio11=under about eighty pounds pressure at all outside-surfaces of the fluidis returned'to compartment 36 by well known methods such as a motoroperated suction pump where'it is screened and recirculated. "Thatportion of tank housing 11-which corresponds-to the'uight'siXrollsFl'SimFig.

l sprays hot caustic solution on thedrums. That portion corresponding tothe three rolls on the left applies awt ater rinse as indicatedlaststation 43 on'the'water'rinse mani- "fold. Spent'rinse'water is'caughtin the top part'of compartment '36 and drained off'at '44; Clean outcompartment 41 collects whatever materials may happen tobe in the drumsat the'start and discharge it to sewage through its drain 42.

A preferred arrangement for elevating thedrums against 'body brushesisshown inFig. 10. inwhich the center three *rollslS are mounted'on abeam 102'Which is pivoted at 101 to'pistonmd "100 of air cylinder124which is mounted on tank housing ll'beneaththeithree central rolls15. In this form the portionof chain 17 which connects with the endgroups of rolls15 is'provided ample slackand an idler take-up which may.bes r'ing-biased orweighted in a manner well known in the art.

Beam 102 has a long arm 103 attached thereto by bolts welding, or thelike. The other end of arm 10.3 is resiliently attached to tank housing11 by a spring 104. The arm 103 is of sufiicient length that therelatively small elevation of beam 102 by piston 124 does not effect anundesirable tilting of beam 102 extreme elevation of beam 102. Theangles involved are thus sufiiciently small to preclude instability of adrum being elevated and, at the time maximum elevation is achieved.further'drum stability is effected by the pressures of the brushes onthedrum surface. Spring 104 permits some rocking of beam 102 when a drumthereon is in engagement with the brushes whereby the drum itselfprovides for proper surface engagement withthe brushes. It is'thisstructure which enables the brushes to exert an even pressure'on' thedrum being cleaned even when the drumis outof round. Fig. 9 showsone-formof interior arrangementof spray noZzleslll. fFigQS showsa'variant of Fig. l. Round head brushes 106. are mounted *OIJwSiHbshafts-107. and 'driveniby belts, one. from eachvmotor 34. -Beltsin"Fig. 8 are housed in guards=108. and the-belts to drive brushes 106 arehoused in a 'guard 109 on-eachrsideof thetank 11.

-The operationof the. device is: as, follows. Drumsare supplied atfloorlevel to curved projection-54-of lift arm I52. Screen compartmentSG isfilled with caustic solution such assodium hydroxide 'or...similarmaterial which is heate d by. steam.-coils' 37. Motor= -operates pump'39 andpumps hot caustic solution through manifold-38, cross mains 110vand nozzles. 111 in' theifirst two-thirds 'of housing 11. In the. samemanner rinsewaterfrom any water supply connection is. supplied.to--.the.nozzles 111 connectedto water rinse manifold 43.

Motor 57 causesreducer 58 --to.rotate shaft 68 'and -wheel. 56.v Linkf61 rotates arm -52' about'pivot 53 causing curved projection .54to-lift adrum nesting therein until the drum rolls downarm 52 and:rests; against gactua- .torwheel 56.- Tangential armi62: contactsthedrum as wheel 56 continues -to--rotatefand-deposits it Sonramp 65 YonWhichlthe'drumrolls to. the' first ofzthesfe'edi rolls 15. No me'ansas-lsuchiarei absolutely required to move the drun'is along'throughthe-machine. It is enough-tomainii -continuous supplyof' drums"enteringthe machine h me-asset loading arm" 52. "Thedrum'sthereafterbum'p even at the position of drums. Gaustic mechanism .of'ducer 18 and .dru'miis'pressedagainst body brushes 30 by beam 102and"elevator cylinder'124, any unevenness is allowed for by "pivot"1'01i"inbeam'102, balance being obtained by .the

" going scrubbing action and. pivot1'01.

. action of nozzles 111.

departing from housing, -housing, a plurality -of brushes, elevating-means constructed to press adrum being cleaned againstsaid brushes,said elevator means havinga pivoted' frame mounting lightly or..nudgepreceding..onesalong.untilejector ..45-is reached. However,improved action is achieved when the rolls 15 are driven by chains 17 asdescribed above. In a normal cleaning plant drums in the machine at theend of a days run are left there until the following day when themachine again begins continuous operation. If for any reason it isdesire'd to'remove all the drums from themachin -thelast half dozen orso aresh'ovedalong by hand, using a'longpole or the like.

As a drum rolls along material drops into clean-out compartment'41 whichalso collects sludge from the stripping operation. The hot caustic sprayfrom nozzles 111 softens and cuts through any residual paint on thedrums. As the drums reach the center of housing 11, cams 73 and 74 openvalves 76 and 77, admitting air to lines 79 and 80 and energizing headbrush cylinder 87 and elevator cylinder 24, respectively. This actionrotates the two levers 92 and their'shafts 90, applying the head brushes22against the opposite heads of the drum simultaneously and cleaningthem as the drum rotates. The actuation of elevator cylinder '24 rotatesshaft 28 and the elevator roller: cradle.

In the preferred form shown in Fig. 10 cylinder 124 raisesbeam 1'02 andthe centralthree-rolls 15. ""Where' slack is provided in chain 17 and atake-up known construction employed traction remotor 19 may remain onshelf 20. When a action of arm '103and spring'104.' The upward movementof.beam 102 need be only a few inches at most so that the. drum beingpressed against brushes. 30 isheld-on the ba'm'102 by neighboring drumsin the cleaning line. Once the elevated drum is forced againstthefspaced 30 it will center itself between them while undertheequalizing effect of the brushes 'As stated the air supplied to cylinder124 could be cyclically regulated-to even the pressure on rectangularcontainers. Cams 73 and 74 then close-valves76ancl 77 de-energizingcylinders 87 and 124and-allowing the drum to move progressively along onrollers 15 under the The last third of the linein tank The drum isadvanced to pivoted 45. Cam 72 operates valve 75,

11 is a hot water rinse. cradle 48 of up-ender 1 admittingair to pipe:78 and operating the up-ender servo- 'cylinder. 'moved. I Causticsolution The. up-ended drum is drained and then:re is returned tocompartment 36 by a suitable sump pump. Rinse waterxis caught in a trayin ,the' topspart of compartment 36 and runs out rinse drain '44.

The speed of. shaft .68 determines .the number of' drums handled in lineproduction and can be readily adjusted to suit. requirements.

While there has been described whatis-at-present con sidered to be thepreferred embodimentof this invention,

it will-be obvious .to thoseskilled in the: art that various changes andmodifications may be made therein without the invention, and it is,-therefore, intended in the appended claims to cover in generic terrnsall such changes and modificationsas fal-l Within the true spirit andscope of the invention.

I claim:

1. In combination in a-device for-cleaning drums, a conveyor rollersmounted in sequencein said certain of said rolls and resilient meanstobias said frame F and equalize theforce exerted bysa'id brushes.

' 2. 'The conibination set forth in claim 1,"'timing"means feontrolliii'g'the operation 'of -said elevator-means and'the passage of alongisaid'conveyor'rolls.

loading drums on said conveyor rollers, a mounting for said lift arm anda common drive for said timing means and said lift arm.

4. In combination in means to clean drums, a housing, conveyor rollersmounted in sequence within said housing, a plurality of body brushesmounted above said rollers, a plurality of head brushes, means toelevate drums against said body brushes, means to apply said headbrushes, means to initiate delivery of drums to said conveyor rollers,timing means controlling said means to initiate the delivery of drums,said means to elevate a drum against said body brushes and apply saidhead brushes in a predetermined sequence, said means to elevate actingon automatic drum position adjusting means arranged to move a drum beingcleaned into a force equalizing position.

5. The combination set forth in claim 4, means having an elongate springbiased arm member automatically to adjust the force applied by said bodybrushes.

6. In combination in an outside stripper and buffer for reconditioningmetal drums, a housing, a spray nozzle arrangement Within said housing,a supply of caustic solution, means to heat said solution, means tocirculate said solution under pressure through said nozzle arrangementand spray drums being processed, a conveyor roller assembly extendingthrough said housing to convey drums being processed therethrough, meansto drive said roller assembly, a plurality of body brushes, means todrive said body brushes, a plurality of head brushes, actuating meansfor said head brushes, elevating means for at least two middle rolls ofsaid roller assembly positioned beneath said body brushes and arrangedto press a drum against said body brushes, equalizing means pivotallymounted on said elevating means and spring biased to adjust the pressureof the body brushes on a drum being processed, a loader for placingdrums on said conveyor roller assembly, and timer means controlling theoperation of said elevating means, said actuating means and said loaderto determine the time cycle of treatment of drums being processed.

7. The combination set forth in claim 1, said brushes comprising bodybrushes bearing on the outer curved surface of a drum when in elevatedposition and pressed against said body brushes, head brushes mountedwithin said housing and positioned to act upon the heads of drums beingcleaned.

8. The combination set forth in claim 1, drive means for said conveyorrollers which function in conjunction with the bumping of drums againsteach other to advance drums being cleaned through the device and meansto supply drums continuously to said conveyor rollers.

9. The combination set forth in claim 1, and means to supply drumscontinuously to said conveyor rollerswhereby succeeding drums gentlypush preceding drums to be cleaned through the device and aid inmaintaining the cleaning position of individual drums when elevated bysaid elevator means and pressed against said brushes.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,212,587 Van Horn Jan. 16, 1917 1,231,092 Suhm June 26, 1917 1,244,391Van Horn Oct. 23, 1917 1,244,392 Van Horn Oct. 23, 1917 2,454,924 HurstNov. 30, 1948

